Monday The 13th

You don’t even know the half of our moving day adventure. We glossed over it because we knew you deserved empty shots of our old place and pics of the new house’s interior – but we couldn’t let this story go untold. So take a moment to pantomime the buckling of your seatbelt and get ready to enjoy the ride. As we mentioned earlier, the day started off with an unexpected surprise: a snowstorm. And even though it wasn’t a Friday, the thirteenth of this month (aka Monday) surely lived up to its less than lucky reputation. Which is so not a good thing when it’s closing/moving day.

Sure the snow was pretty, but it definitely had its hand in a few unlucky events that day. Like knocking out power at our attorney’s office, making it a bit more difficult to stay updated on what was happening and get transfers and files through in order to complete our closing on time (which is partially why it was delayed until Tuesday). But that was nothing compared to this, um, predicament:

Yep, that’s our 26 ft U-Haul truck in a ditch, blocking two lanes of traffic. And it’s not just any ditch. It’s the ditch at the end of our driveway- er well, the driveway that we had just sold. So technically, it was someone else’s ditch that was holding my truck captive about an hour before they’d be returning with the keys. Not to mention it was someone else’s mailbox that the truck was precariously leaning against. Sigh.

Here’s how it went down (pun intended). Sherry was already at my sister’s house with Clara and Burger playing the waiting game until we could move into the new house. I had been dropped off at our old house to meet the buyers and their agent so they could do one last walk-through of our old casa before closing (apparently to make sure it was vacant and everything was still intact… can you taste the irony already?). The walk-through went fine and I was leaving right behind them in the giant truck packed full of all our worldly possessions when this happened (though they were already too far up the road to see it). I blame it on some combination of paying too close attention to keeping the front end of the truck from ending up in the ditch across the street, snow that was hiding the edge of the driveway, and general inexperience when it comes to driving a big ol’ truck.

At least that’s how I like to tell the story. Sherry prefers this phone conversation play-by-play:

JOHN: Hey Sherry. Walk-through went fine. They’re off to go close and I’m headed to the new house.

SHERRY:Okay, be very careful. It’s snowy out there so drive as slow as you need, even if people are honking at you. Just take your time.

JOHN:I will. Don’t worry.

SHERRY:Great. I just don’t want you ending up in a ditch or anything.

[HANG UP, SHERRY GOES TO PUT HER PHONE DOWN BUT IT IMMEDIATELY RINGS AGAIN.]

JOHN:Crap, the truck is in a ditch and I think I knocked over the mailbox.

SHERRY:You’re kidding right?

[END SCENE, FADE TO BLACK]

We can laugh about it now, but let’s just say it was definitely a disastrous moment in our heads at the time. We had visions of everything in the truck shattering and having to wait hours to be towed out (which would definitely have pissed off the new owners who would be back with the keys in about an hour after their closing). Fortunately none of that happened. Heck, the mailbox didn’t even fall over.

Once I got the truck towed out of the ditch (within about half an hour- which was truly miraculous in that storm with all the other car-riddled ditches to be attended to) I drove it about one mile an hour over to our new house. Then I called our house’s new owners’ agent and agreed to replace the mailbox post (which had cracked in the process). Between that and the tow truck charge to un-ditch the truck, the whole ordeal ended up costing us $185. Sucky? Yes. But it could have been so much worse (so far not one thing that we’ve unpacked has been broken- which is a total Christmas miracle because the back of the truck crashed down at least 18″ when it slipped off the driveway). We’re just happy it didn’t result in a cracked flatscreen TV, a delayed closing, an injury, or any other number of things that could have gone wrong. And it somehow made making it into our house later that day that much sweeter. Like we’d battled all sorts of insane and unexpected adversity, only to end up where we belonged by day’s end.

Plus, later that night I redeemed myself by surprising Sherry with this:

I snagged it on lunaCielo’s Etsy shop a few weeks ago (after hearing Sherry admire Courtney Cox’s small gold turtle necklace during Cougar Town). I though it made a great house-warming gift because it came with this note about the turtle’s symbolism: “The turtle’s whole life is one of steadfastness, effort, and patience. There is a saying, “Home is where the heart is” — the turtle is always at home within itself.” As we switch from one house to another, it’s a good reminder that our sense of home stays with us wherever we are.

And perhaps on this unlucky day, it was a good sign that even our ditch-bound truck itself was emblazoned with a giant turtle. Coincidence? You be the judge.

So that’s the story of Monday the 13th. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about what can happen when a case of the Mondays merges with that unlucky number…

Thank you for sharing this. :) I always envision your life as perfect, just because you seem to have such a happy marriage, beautiful baby girl, and overall your act together. I’m sorry this happened, but it’s nice to be reminded that EVERYONE’s life has some hiccups. Glad you came through relatively unscathed!

We moved into our house (8 years ago in February) during a snow “storm” too. Here in Dallas it snowed 3 inches, the most that had fallen at one time in 18 years (but I’m from Colorado, so it seemed like a mere dusting to me). It was great, tho, because we got to meet a lot of neighbors who were out making snowmen, etc.

So will you actually go OVER and replace the mailbox post yourself or will you have to pay for someone else to do it? Just wondering if the DIY spirit overlaps onto this mishap! LOL! Glad Monday the 13th didn’t present anything worse!!! :-D

I just have to say that I am incredibly impressed with how often you have been able to post and respond to comments this week. WOW! I would have probably thought something like, “meh, they know we’re moving” – which is one of many reasons why I’m not in your line of work and you two are so good at this. Well done.

Seriously though, major props on a smooth moving day. When you feel that car lurch into a ditch, and then start spinning your wheels and realize you’re not going anywhere, the heart just sinks like a piece of cement in your stomach. Totally commiserate with you there. Especially with a huge truck like that (my situation was horrible rainstorm + high winds going down I-80 east to Michigan with a huge U-Haul going 35mph…and horrible windshield wipers)

But John! Turning on the charm with the necklace! I think I might have to take a few pointers from you for the Mrs! Well played, good sir!

Logistics and weather complications made John driving the truck from there to the new house the “path of least resistence” in our minds. Didn’t work out that way in the end, but oh well… we lived to tell the tale.

Why was the back end of the truck facing the street at that point? From the first picture, it appears that the you had backed the truck into the driveway, so the front portion was facing the street. So did you guys at some point pull forwards out of the driveway, then drive back into the driveway, then attempt to back out again? That’s a lot of driveway manuvering for a giant Uhaul :)

Oh no, the front of the truck is facing the street the whole time. John just pulled forward (he had backed in the night before) and the back tire got caught at the end of our driveway (see that mailbox? it’s our old one – so sad!).

Wow, what an adventure! And oh the irony from your original phone conversation with Sherry!

The turtle necklace was super sweet of you and I love the meaning behind it! It was absolutely perfect for the occasion. And I totally laughed out loud when I saw the giant turtle on the Uhaul!!! :) Hilarious! You couldn’t have planned that if you tried. :)

I am a learky:) Now I am making myself known:) I stumbled upon your blog last summer and have been reading it ever since:)

I moved around a lot as kid due to my Dad’s Job and have been enjoying your newest journey:) So exciting. But, with excitement does come crazy too:) A good move despite a ditch to throw you off is a art form.

What you said “As we switch from one house to another, it’s a good reminder that our sense of home stays with us wherever we are.” So, true. Reminds me of what my mom would say, Home is always where we are!!!

I truly wish you all the best and look forward to all your new adventures!

The day I moved into my first house I accidentally locked all of the keys in our car, which was blocking the moving truck in the driveway. My husband drove the giant truck through our muddy yard and returned that while I stayed home to wait for AAA to come unlock the car. Minutes before locking the keys in the car we had a conversation “maybe we should put a key outside somewhere… ok lets do that now”. Thank goodness I could get in to the house with the key we had just hidden and unpacked until AAA got there at Midnight! Moving day stories are fun… not on the day that they happen of course, but in hindsight.

I can totally empathize with moving trucks. I, of limited depth perception, volunteered to drive our 26-foot truck to our first house. Lets just say I got to know my new neighbors really well while re-sodding half of their yard. Yeah, it was that bad. However, they were super nice about the ordeal and now we’re friends. I typically drive a Honda civic coupe so my ‘backing in’ skills were not exactly up to snuff.

Love this story! It’s so important to keep the humor in situations like this. I’m sure it was not funny at the time, but looking back it’s a great story to laugh about.
I must admit that I was in the midst of writing a card to my grandmother who is an avid turtle collector (not real turtles, but anything turtle related) and I got a teeny bit misty eyed when I read about the turtle necklace. That’s embarrasing to admit… Love the turtle on the truck too. Thank you for such a wonderful story to brighten up a snowy Thursday! Wishing you nothing but happiness in your new home.

Ah, dont feel bad, John. That is a really tough corner for a truck like that! Just be glad it didn’t end up much worse. I can relate to the weather throwing a wrench into your moving plans. When we moved into our house 2 years ago (in mid December), it was semi blizzarding. It was so icy and cold. Cold like frostbite within minutes for exposed hands. We didn’t rent a truck but rather used an open bed pickup, so we had to put tarps on our mattresses and microfiber couch to protect it from the snow (which was mixed with ice). Then we had to figure out how to get my husband’s motorcycle over there. Extremely dangerous to drive a motorcycle on ice! We luckily found a friend who could move it with his truck. Needless to say, we were ready for an adult beverage by the time we unpacked everything. Moving sucks!

I’m going to blame what just happened to me on emotions running amok because I just found out two days ago my husband got orders and we’re moving cross country from CT to CA, but I cried when I saw the necklace you got Sherry. That is just about the sweetest thing ever and the meaning behind it…oh dear, tear jerker. (sorry for the run-on sentence, I can barely put a thought together the last few days) I’m so excited to follow along in the new house and the 4 of you getting settled in. In about six months I’ll be doing the same thing in a state I’ve never been to!

I completely feel your pain of moving in a snow storm! We moved into our first house over 3 years ago, a day after the worst snow storm in many years in Omaha. Our family wasn’t even able to come help us because the weather was too bad for them to travel but we were so excited and determined to move out of our apartment. Of course we didn’t own a snow shovel and the driveway was so packed we couldn’t even pull into it so we hired a guy who was snow blowing a driveway down the street. Pricey but completely worth it!

We were moving into a house at the top of a hill so you can imagine the drama of getting a U-Haul to the top. Luckily we could come from the other direction that wasn’t as steep. We also ran over our neighbors trash can (who we hadn’t even met yet, akward moment at their doorstep, “hi, were the new neighbors, can we buy ya a trash can”.

The new owners are smart! We didn’t ask for a final walk through before closing and our buyer’s agent sure as heck didn’t suggest it. So, when we got the keys, we also got random garbage. The garage was full of (unbagged) junk, plus we found random stuff in the basement. I spent the first three hours in our house just bagging up debris (and I was itching to start tearing up carpet!) Final walk through–going to add that to my list of things to do next time.

Congratulations for getting the move done – even with minor complications!
Our last move resulted in a major argument with a family member, who (among other things) tossed fragile items, which had a sentimental meaning for us, into a plastic bag so most of them were scratched and broken afterwards. She also forgot the screws for our bed, which we had put into a plastic bag for easy reassembly of the bed, in her car and we had our trouble getting those back after the argument.

Some accidents of some sort happen during every move. The most important thing is how you cope with it and that you keep a positive mood and just go through the difficulties together.

I’m so sorry that this happened to you (phew, $185 !). But since you lived to tell the tale ….

I laughed so loud when I read your conversation! (It reminds me of something I would say) and I can just imagine how John was thinking as soon as the wheel went into the ditch, “Now how do I call my wife, who hoped I didn’t go into a ditch, that I did just in fact go into one.”

Well at least you’ll always remember that day for a few reasons, and the turtle is so cute. :)

You guys watch Cougar Town?? I am in love with the decor in Jules’ house! When I’m watching, I constantly pause it so I can obsess over all the furniture, window treatments, artwork and accessories. It would be fun to write a post about set designs you love. Maybe you already have and I’ve just missed it.

The gold turtle necklace was a great way to end the day. Good job, John!

This is the funniest story, and since nothing was broken, it’ll make for a great story to tell over and over again, that’s what makes life interesting! (even though we don’t really wish for this sort of things in the first place!)
My husband threw ourselves in a ditch once, at a mountain upstate New York. He wanted to go up this snow covered dirt road on 2 wheel drive instead of 4 “to see how good it gips”! Well honey, it’s in the user guide: 4 grips better than 2…
I remember that night as the first time I screamed my head of at my husband, in front of all our snowboarding friends… but in my defense I was hungry and tired! A friend had to grab me out of the car like a baby, given the passenger side was hanging over about a whole 5 or 6 feet. Like true boys, they had a blast filming the mountain’s snow cat pulling the car out of the ditch, and thankfully no one was hurt… besides my ego, realized I had shown my bridezilla’s side. Woops. I guess that’s why my story didn’t end with a turtle necklace…! Darn it! Thumbs up to John for the gift!